From commitments to action: Assessing the effectiveness of pan-European policies and regulations for the green digital transformation – WS 01 2022

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21 June 2022 | 10:30 - 11:30 CEST | FabLab / Fibonacci | Live streaming | Live transcription
Consolidated programme 2022 overview / Day 1

Proposals: #3 #13 #22 #48 #51 #73

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Session teaser

In the face of crises and challenges ranging from energy security to climate change, Europe needs to transition to a green digital economy by the 2030s. Are we making the progress that we need to realise this goal, however?

Session description

Since the beginning of the 2020s, Europe has faced crisis after crisis – ranging from COVID-19 and the current war in Ukraine, to the resulting refugee crisis and persistent economic, supply chain, and energy security challenges, just to name a few. These crises do not exist within a vacuum, however, nor are they manifesting in a completely unforeseen way. On the contrary, European governments across the continent have been preparing for an uncertain and potentially tumultuous 21st century with extensive plans such as the European Green Deal, the European Digital Strategy, and many others from both national governments as well as regional governance organisations outlining extensive plans and roadmaps for action.

Between technological innovations and expanding capacities, it is clear we have many of the solutions needed to address new and emerging challenges, but the important question to address is whether or not we are actually implementing them? With 2030 fast approaching, are we actually implementing effective regulations and setting the right standards to solve the problems of the future, especially as it relates to the intersection of digital and sustainability?

The reality is that there is no simple answer; it is one that should be seen as nuanced. While the “right to repair” is advancing, for instance, material footprints of information and communication technologies along with the amount of non-recycled electronic waste (e-waste) continue to rise.

Given these developments and building on EuroDIG’s past work on ICTs, sustainability, and the environment, this session will explore the opportunities and challenges facing the implementation of policies governing ICT sustainability and digitalization across Europe, specifically by highlighting areas that are progressing well along with areas that are struggling. We also seek to address how the EuroDIG community can further support the green digital transformation and accelerate the green transition of the European digital economy.

Format

Please try out new interactive formats. EuroDIG is about dialogue not about statements, presentations and speeches. Workshops should not be organised as a small plenary.

Further reading

Sustainability intersessional projects

  • Greening Internet Governance (EuroDIG)
  • IGF Dynamic Coalition on the Environment (DC-E)
  • Policy Network on Environment (PNE – IGF)

Past EuroDIG sessions focusing on sustainability

FS 1 (2021) key messages

  • A standardised methodology and indicators are necessary to assess and monitor the environmental and social impact of digital technologies to enable evidence based decision making at the regulatory and political levels.
  • Internet governance must include sustainability at its heart (core).
  • To reduce the environmental impact of the digital world, it is necessary to adopt measures to optimise energy and material efficiency (circularity) of the digital sector. For example, increasing the use of renewables, innovating for low energy consumption, keeping devices longer in use, facilitating re-use, improving reparability and recyclability, and adopting sustainable business models.
  • We need to make sure that the infrastructure we use runs on green power. We should leverage policy, and in particular the policy on spending public money, to speed along the use of a greener Internet.
  • Areas where international coordination is needed the most are measures to promote the circular economy, to share environmental data, to reduce environmentally harmful consumption, to promote efficiency and enhance digital applications, and to ensure transparency regarding environmental costs and materials, as well as the improvement of data protection through technical measures.
  • Regulations that increase circular production and consumption, ensure corporate accountability, and increase the reuse of devices as well as increasing their longevity are some of the most important policy areas that need to be addressed in order for Europe to have a sustainable digital future.

Selection of past IGF sessions focusing on sustainability

Reports, regulations, and studies conducted by the European Union

Additional resources

  • Lower Energy Acceleration (LEAP) Program – Roadmap | Program overview
  • Climate change impacts in Europe (link)
  • Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA) – Roadmap

People

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Focal Point

  • Julia Trzcińska

Focal Points take over the responsibility and lead of the session organisation. They work in close cooperation with the respective Subject Matter Expert (SME) and the EuroDIG Secretariat and are kindly requested to follow EuroDIG’s session principles

Organising Team (Org Team) List Org Team members here as they sign up.

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  • Florian Cortez
  • Julia Trzcińska
  • Michael J. Oghia
  • Minda Moreira
  • Shawna Finnegan

Key Participants

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Remote Moderator

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Reporter

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  • are summarised on a slide and presented to the audience at the end of each session
  • relate to the particular session and to European Internet governance policy
  • are forward looking and propose goals and activities that can be initiated after EuroDIG (recommendations)
  • are in (rough) consensus with the audience

Current discussion, conference calls, schedules and minutes

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Messages

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Video record

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Transcript

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